Strong Magnetic Field Effects and Molecular Processes with Applications to White Dwarfs

<p>Radiative transitions of hydrogenlike atoms in external magnetic fields of strength applicable to magnetic white dwarfs, i.e. B < 10³ megagauss, have been investigated for field-free principal quantum numbers n < 6. Finite proton mass corrections are included. Relativistic corrections are also investigated. Transition probabilities are determined using the length, velocity, and acceleration forms of the electric dipole operator. Discrepancies between previous calculations and magnetic white dwarf observations of low-lying boundbound transitions have been studied. New results for high-lying transitions are also obtained.</p> <p>The transition probability for the hydrogenlike 2s two-photon decay has been investigated and shown to increase substantially with field strength. The computed two-photon spectra show resonances and interference minima. Anomalous Zeeman depolarization features are found in computed two-photon polarization spectra of alkali atoms in laboratory strength magnetic fields. A previously observed fine structure depolarization feature is shown to decay with decreasing field strength.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Year dc:date.available

1994

Author dc:creator

• Stancil, Phillip C.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Gary E. Copeland
• Alex Dalgarno
• J. Wallace Van Orden
• Mark D. Havey
• Lawrence B. Weinstein
• Robert L. Ake

• White dwarf stars
• Cosmic magnetic fields
• Molecular processes
• Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics

Statement dc:rights

• <p>In Copyright. URI: <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).</p>

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/physics_etds/121

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:physics_etds-1117